Chris Cunningham's Linkedin Analytics

LinkedIn is drowning in trash. AI-written garbage. Algorithm-chasing posts. Corporate jargon nobody actually understands. And your audience is exhausted with it all.   Vibe marketing is the only thing that will save your brand in 2025 and beyond.   WTF is vibe marketing?   It's creating content that actually makes people FEEL something. It's prioritizing emotional connection over conversion rate optimization.   For years I've watched B2B marketers treat their audiences like emotionless robots who only care about feature lists and ROI calculators.   Meanwhile, those same "professional decision-makers" are binging TikTok after hours and connecting with brands that actually make them feel something.   When our "HR Goes Hard" series hit 15M views, we didn't explain ClickUp's Gantt chart functionality. We created characters that resonated: two HR guys taking their jobs way too seriously while dancing to 90s throwbacks.   That's the essence of vibe marketing: creating content people actively seek out rather than scroll past.   It's about:   • Building emotional connections, not just sharing information • Creating a brand identity so strong people recognize you without seeing your logo • Making people stop and engage because they want to, not because you tricked them • Standing for something bigger than features and benefits   The B2B marketing playbook is fundamentally broken. We've been taught that business buyers only care about logic, metrics, and case studies.   But B2B buyers are just B2C consumers who happen to be at work.   In an era where AI can generate endless streams of mediocre content, the only real differentiator is authenticity. A marketing vibe so distinctly yours that it filters your audience better than any targeting parameters ever could.   Your product might be B2B, but your marketing should be B2Human.   So ask yourself: What's your brand's vibe? And is it strong enough that I'd recognize your content without seeing your logo?

Old School CMO: We need to increase our LinkedIn ad budget and focus on professional channels. New School Marketer: Actually, I think we should cut paid by 70% and go all-in on organic social, including those "less professional" platforms. Old School CMO: That's absurd. Enterprise decision-makers aren't scrolling TikTok videos looking for software. New School Marketer: People aren't looking to be sold to on social. They're taking a break. When everyone else zigs with boring corporate content, we need to zag. Old School CMO: How does entertaining people who aren't looking to buy help our pipeline? New School Marketer: My content follows the rule of three: make them feel something, teach them something valuable, or deliver a clear message. We even released a music album about work that got over a million streams! Old School CMO: You made... an album? New School Marketer: Every song is about work, subtly mentions our brand, and comes in every genre. That's how you become memorable. Old School CMO: But how do we know this drives actual business? New School Marketer: We've had Fortune 500 VPs reach out saying, "We saw your videos and want to talk." Everyone's human—executives like to laugh too. Old School CMO: So we just post random funny content? New School Marketer: We use the ABCD framework: A's are proven winners we replicate, B's are concepts that worked elsewhere, C's are trends we join, and D's are experiments. We test, learn, and scale what works—all while staying scrappy. Some of our best videos are just shot on an iPhone. Old School CMO: Where would we even start? New School Marketer: Create employee-led content, build in public, and do the opposite of competitors. If you've never had trouble with legal about your content, you're playing it too safe. Boring doesn't cut through noise. Old School CMO: So we'll be the Duolingo standout in the B2B space? New School Marketer: Exactly. Just without the mascot... for now.

Confession: I've switched teams in the racquet sports world. Pickleball was fun for a minute - that honeymoon phase where everything's exciting and new. But then I met padel. And WOW. Game over. The walls. The glass courts. The strategy. The community. The vibe. Pickleball feels like checkers now. Padel is 3D chess with better cardio and more laughs. My shoulders don't ache anymore. My competitive itch gets scratched daily. Yes, it's harder to find courts. Yes, it costs a bit more. But it's like comparing fast food to a proper meal. One fills the void. The other becomes an obsession. Anyone else made the switch? Or are you still on the pickleball bandwagon? (No judgment... but also, let me know when you're ready for the upgrade!) PS - If you're ever in Miami and want to grab a court, hit me up!

Going live April 8 at 11 AM PST with Anson Hwang! If you're curious about how to actually use AI at work, without code, and without spending hours learning -> this is worth your time. We're doing a live demo of ChatSheet. It's the fastest way to pull insights from any doc, deck, or PDF. Imagine working with whatever AI model you want within a sheet. We'll show how teams are using it to move faster, and answer questions live. Save your spot here:

I know this isn't the cool thing to say, but there's just no way to make amazing content only using AI. If you’re letting AI fully run your content, you don’t understand how LLMs work. They generate the average answer, which does not make you stand out. Use AI for ideas, but if you want to win, your brain still has to lead. PS, this came from a convo with Tim Soulo - watch out for our Ahrefs podcast episode coming out soon!

B2B Marketing MYTH: "My buyers aren't on TikTok." I used to think that too. Until two different very high-level companies who had GHOSTED us for months came back saying "we saw your TikToks and love them."   That's right. C-suite decision makers at enterprise companies watching HR Goes Hard videos on TikTok at 10pm.   Everyone loves to say "my buyers aren't on TikTok" with this smug confidence like they've mapped the entire internet browsing history of their ICP.   People forget the most basic truth of marketing: your buyers are humans first.   The moment you start thinking of B2B buyers as these faceless "professionals" who only consume whitepapers and attend webinars is the moment you lose.   When I first started with TikTok at ClickUp, I worked on it for a YEAR and only gained like 4,000 followers. I was ready to give up.   But our COO was smart. He gave me a quarter - not a week, not a day, a full quarter - to figure it out. Said to me: "I don't want any pressure the first month, just show me progress by the end of the quarter."   Month 1: Not much success. Month 2: Two videos hit 10 million views. Month 3: The board is asking for MORE.   Now we're averaging over 150 million impressions monthly (on our way to 200M).   Here's what most companies miss with social:   (1) You're not going to nail it immediately. It took us months of testing.   (2) You need a dedicated creator. Not your social media manager spending "1 hour a day" on it. Hire someone whose ONLY job is creating.   (3) You have to detach from immediate ROI. Top of funnel is about awareness, not conversions. I use custom landing pages to track signups later.   (4) The ABCD framework has been our secret: A = Things that are working (double down) B = New formats to test C = Trends (but don't ONLY do trends) D = Completely random experiments   (5) Stop trying to sell. Make people FEEL something instead. Make them laugh, teach them something, or give them a break from work.   Most companies play it safe on social. But that's exactly when platforms STOP working.   The algorithm rewards pattern interruption, not pattern following. If you look like everyone else, you'll perform like everyone else - which is poorly.   PS - I'm hosting a virtual event Tomorrow at 11 AM EST going over the exact frameworks I use at ClickUp + some top secret ones. Drop a comment or shoot me a DM if you want the invite.

I don't believe in scheduling my inspiration. I don't put it on a calendar for "later." When that spark hits, whether it's a content idea, a solution to a problem, or a new strategy for ClickUp.. I act on it immediately. Why? Because inspiration has an expiration date. It's perishable. When you delay that moment of curiosity or creativity, you're basically telling your brain: "This isn't actually important." The energy fades. The magic disappears. The connection gets lost. This isn't being disorganized. It's recognizing that your best work happens when you're genuinely excited about it. Not when you've scheduled yourself to be excited at 2pm next Tuesday. Some might call this chaotic. I call it following your creative momentum. Sure, I still have a calendar. I still plan. But I've built flexibility into my day specifically to chase those sparks when they appear. Are you capturing your inspiration in the moment, or letting it spoil on a to-do list?

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT (Details Below): I've closed eight-figure deals not with cold emails, but with content that converts. Here's how: Most B2B marketers are playing the wrong game. They obsess over vanity metrics - likes, comments, shares. They celebrate when a post "goes viral" but cry when their pipeline remains empty. I've been at ClickUp since day one. From scrappy startup to $4 billion valuation. You know what I've learned? Strategic content isn't just about getting seen. It's about getting signed. Most content gets scrolled past. Convert-worthy content makes decision-makers stop, think, and ultimately reach out to YOU. I've developed a system that turns your social presence into actual revenue. Not theory. Not fluff. Just the exact playbook I used to land multi-million dollar deals. In my first-ever Content to Clients masterclass, I'm revealing: ➝ The ABCD Framework we use to create content that cuts through the noise (the same one that got our HR videos 17M+ views) ➝ My "Pattern Interrupt" technique that makes busy executives stop scrolling and pay attention ➝ How to build your content machine so it generates leads while you sleep ➝ The simple psychology hack that converts casual followers into paying clients I don't care about making you "LinkedIn famous." I care about getting you CLIENTS. If you're tired of posting into the void and ready to build a magnetic brand that attracts your ideal customers... Comment "MASTERCLASS" below and I'll send you all the details (make sure we're connected so I can message you) This is the first time I'm sharing this system outside ClickUp. Spots are limited.

MIAMI. LET’S TALK INFLUENCERS. I’m speaking at the Influencer Marketing Show (April 22–25) with Aneesh Lal the Jerry Maguire of the influencer game and founder of The Wishly Group. Here’s the problem: -Most B2B brands are playing the wrong game. -They chase reach. They throw money at creators. -And then they wonder why it doesn’t move pipeline. At ClickUp, we do it differently. We built a content engine that turns attention into revenue consistently. At my session, “Breaking the B2B Mold,” I’ll share the system behind it: ➝ The framework we use to drive 150M+ monthly impressions ➝ Why most B2B teams are setting their influencer strategy up to fail ➝ Where B2B influencer marketing is going ➝ How to turn creator collabs into pipeline, not just posts No fluff. No vanity metrics. Just the playbook. If you're headed to IMS it me up!

I walked back into my high school last week. Standing before those students, I gave them the real talk I wish I'd heard: (1) Know what you want your life to look like. Family? Nice watches? Globe-trotting adventures? You can't hit a target you haven't set. (2) Take consistent action EVERY DAY. Not when it's convenient. Not when motivation strikes. Every. Single. Day. (3) Position yourself for opportunity. Hero moments come randomly. But they only matter if you're already moving in the right direction. Most people drift through life without clarity. Reacting to whatever's in front of them. Then one day they look up, wondering how they got there. Don't be most people. Get ridiculously clear on what you want. Move toward it relentlessly. The world rewards decisive action, not perfect plans. Clarity creates champions. Consistency creates careers. Courage creates change. Agree?

I've been GHOSTED by dozens of influencers this year. Not because I'm a jerk. Not because I insulted them. But for the ultimate sin: Not giving them money 💰 Since ClickUp hit $4B valuation, my inbox has exploded with partnership requests. I respect the hustle 100%! But here's the pattern I've noticed: the SECOND we decline a partnership.. I become invisible. No texts, no calls, no LinkedIn comments. It's like we never existed to each other. And I genuinely don't understand it. Why does business have to be all or nothing? ➝ If I say no to your proposal, does that mean we can't connect as humans? ➝ If we don't sign a contract, we can't exchange ideas? ➝ If I'm not writing you a check, I can't celebrate your wins? That's some weird transactional energy that I don't vibe with. Real relationships outlast business deals. The founders and creators I respect most are the ones who stay connected regardless of whether money is changing hands. So here's my take: if you're only friendly when there's a deal on the table... You're not building a network, you're just collecting transactions. And in the long run, genuine connections will take you further than any contract. Anyone else notice this pattern? Or am I just being too sensitive here?

I don't believe in boring marketing at ClickUp. Last year we hired actors to protest Salesforce at their own conference.   25 people with protest signs chanting "Cut The Slack!" outside Dreamforce's main entrance. BACKGROUND   25 years ago, Salesforce pulled this EXACT stunt on Siebel Systems that changed CRM history forever.   In 2000, Salesforce was the scrappy underdog. Benioff hired actors to protest with "Death to Software" signs and a fake news van.   Everyone thought he was crazy. Cost? A few thousand bucks. Result? 100+ press mentions and positioning as THE cloud rebel. Now the disruptor becomes the disrupted. Full circle moment. HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF   Fast forward to September 2024. Same city. Same guerrilla playbook.   But this time, ClickUp crashed the party.   Our HR Guys were creating TikToks on the scene that hit 500K views within HOURS.   No booth fee required. No approval needed.   Every protester pointed people to our landing page showing exactly why our new Chat product makes Slack obsolete. TAKEAWAY   People keep asking me how we get 100M+ impressions a month.   This is how. Finding that one move that makes your competition say "WTF just happened?"   Scrappy, bold moves that can redefine your category overnight.   A spectacle beats a sales pitch.   I'm Chris Cunningham, I run social media marketing at ClickUp! Follow me for more scrappy B2B marketing content like this. 😂 What was your first impression of this stunt? Be honest.

Our first real office, 2017. After grinding for years from an apartment in Charlotte and a house in Palo Alto where we literally slept near our desks, getting this tiny spot on Howard Street felt like we'd made it to the big leagues.   Look at that janky logo. Crooked lights. No fancy furniture.   But man, that feeling when I'd unlock the door each morning... When we'd interview people in a REAL conference room instead of my living room... When we'd stay up working until 3am surrounded by empty Red Bulls.   That sh*t was magical.   We had no idea we'd grow to 1,000+ people. We were just 4 dudes obsessed with building something better than the project management tools we hated.   Now we have this massive HQ in San Diego. Beautiful space. Amazing team. But I genuinely miss those early days when we were all piled into one room - debating features, celebrating the smallest wins, and fighting like hell to poach customers from giants who'd been in the game for decades.   To every founder grinding in a garage or apartment right now:   Don't rush past this chapter. These are the days you'll look back on with the most pride. When every new customer felt like winning the Super Bowl. When a single bad review could ruin your week.   The struggle is where the best stories come from.   Sometimes I wonder if we should've kept that original sign - crooked lights and all - just to remember where we came from.

The scrappy marketing strategies that worked for ClickUp at $0 still work at $4B. Scrappiness isn't about your budget - it's about refusing to waste a single dollar that doesn't drive results.   When we raised our Series C ($400M), the board expected us to "grow up" and start acting like a "real company".   Translation: spend more money on everything.   But Zeb (our CEO) had this weekly reminder that stuck with me: "Always negotiate like you're broke."   So while other companies were throwing cash at agencies and overproduced content, we doubled down on what actually worked:   ➝ We still hire creators over agencies (saves 70%+ and performs better) ➝ We shoot most viral content on iPhones (not fancy camera packages) ➝ I intentionally set tight budget caps on campaigns (even when we don't need to) ➝ We test small before scaling anything (no million-dollar experiments)   Our most successful TikTok content? Shot by a team of 3 people in our office with phone cameras. 30M+ impressions last month.   This mindset is why we've built a $4B company while still having cash in the bank.   The moment you start thinking "we have money now, let's act like it" is the moment you lose what made you special.   Innovation comes from constraints, not luxury. Unlimited budgets kill creativity. Scrappiness wins. Every. Single. Time.   Agree?